barkelew



(No Model.)

2 SheetsSheet 1.- J. A. BARKELEW.

CHICKEN G001.

Patented Nov. 25, 1890.

lgaagfn JULIUSABARKELBW Wilgesses:

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS A. BARKELEV, OF CANTON, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SILASM. RAMSEY, OF SAME PLACE.

CHICKEN-COOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 441,120, dated November25, 1890.

Application filed April 12, 1890. Serial No. 347,687. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS A. BARKELEW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ganton, in the county of Lewis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Chicken-Coop, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has relation to chickencoops, the object of the inventionbeing to provide an exceedingly simple, cheap, and healthy coop, oneadapted for a thorough ventilation and for a convenientaccommodation ofthe chickens, adapted to be knocked down or folded for transportation,packing, &c., to be readily separable for cleaning purposes, andfurthermore to be practically water-proof and a thorough protection tothe chickens.

With the above objects in view the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction hereinafter specified, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a per- Fig. 1 is a plan view, theroof removed and the parts dotted in their folded position. Fig. is aperspective of the coop in a packed or folded state.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 represents the bottom, which is supported above the grou nd byopposite transverse cleats 2, arranged at the ends and secured to theunder surfaces of said bottom.

3 represents the four corner-posts, which are securely nailed at theirlower ends to the opposite ends of their respective cleats, eachlongitudinal pair of corner-posts being 0011- nected by a side section4. Each of the sides of the coop is also provided with an upper sidesection 5, the upper edges of which are inclined from front to rear andare securely nailed to vertical corner-posts 6, aligning with the lowercornerposts 3, and loosely con nected therewith by means of links 7,depending from the inner surfaces of the posts 6 and engaging eyes 8,projecting from the inner faces of the lower corner-posts 3,considerably below their upper ends. By this construction it will beapparent that the upper sections 5 of the sides are adapted to foldwithin the lower sect-ions and down upon the floor 1 of the coop,whereby the height of the coop is reduced less than one-half.

' The floor 1 at its front and rear ends and at opposite sides is,provided with blocks 9, which blocks are arranged slightly in rear ofthe corner-posts and combine with said posts to form an intermediatespace at each of the four corners of the coop. In the spaces thus formedat the front and rear ends of the coop there are arranged front and rearsections 10 and 11, respectively.

The section 10 consists of a transverse bar 12 at the lower end of thesection, which has rising from near its ends opposite vertical bars 13,connected at their upper ends by a transverse portion 14 and combiningwith the posts 13 and the bar 12 to form an exit and entrance for thechickens, which exit-opening is provided with a series of vertical barsto keep out the large chickens. The vertical bars 15 have one of theirmembers made removable, which is accomplished by forming the holes inwhich the vertical bars are seated through and through the section 14,so that said bar may be raised from its lower socket or opening, andwhen free at its lower end moved laterally and withdrawn from its uppersocket. By the bars the entrance is so contracted ordinarily as topermit only of the entrance of the small or younger chickens, and whenthe middle bar is removed the hen is also permitted to enter or leavethe coop.

The upper section of the, transverse portion 14 is provided with aventilating-opening 16, which is covered by wire-gauze, and thus permitsthe escape of foul air.

The bar 12 of the front removable section has hinged thereto adownwardly-opening and upwardly-closing door 17, which is adapted tofold within and close the openings of the front section and be retainedin place by an ordinary turn-button 18. In this manner the chickens maybe locked within the coop when desired, and when the door is let downand the coop opened said door may be used as a feed-board to receive thefood of the chickens.

The rear section II is simply an oblong frame formed by oppositevertical side pieces or bars connected at their upper and lower ends bytransverse bars, the lower one of which takes within the spaces formedby the blocks 9. This frame 11 is covered bya wire netting or gauze 19,so as to permit light and air free exit and entrance from or to thecoop.

To the upper bar of the frame there is hinged, as at 20, adownwardly-folding door 21, to the lower end of which there is pivoted asupporting-bar 22, which, when having its lower end resting upon thelower bar of the frame or upon the ground, serves as an awning for thepurpose of shedding the sun or snow and rain, thus maintaining the coopin a dry and healthy state. By elevating the free end of the strip it isapparent that the. door 21 maybe folded down within the frame, thusclosing the opening.

23 represents the top of the coop or roof,

and the same is formed of a series of inclined boards or sections nailedto transverse cleats 24, located under the same, and of a lengthagreeing with the width of the coop. Strips 25 are secured over thecracks between the planks, so as to render the roof practicallywater-tight.

From the opposite ends of the end cleats 24 there project laterally anddownwardly disposed inverted-L-shaped spring arms or clamps 26, whichare adapted to embrace the outer surfaces of the upper side sections 5,and rest within the notches or recesses 27, formed in the upper edges ofthe same for the accommodation, while the ends of the cleats themselvestake within the side walls of the coop.

As thus constructed it will be apparent that a most healthy andconvenient coop has been provided without the use of nails or othersecuring devices tending to tear the parts composing the coop should thesame be separated for cleansing or packing purposes, and one in whichthe end sections may be removed and laid upon the floor, the sidesections folded thereover, and the roof laid upon them, so that theheight of the coop when packed for shipping is less than one-half itsoriginal height, and the coop may be thus conveniently handled andstored, as will be understood.

\Vhen the parts are all assembled the spring clamping-arms 26 have atendency to draw the side walls snugly together against the ends of thecleats 24, and the end sections 10 and 11 serve to brace and space theside walls apart, so that in the completed structure an exceedinglysolid and. staple coop is provided, and this Without the use of nails orother similar securing devices-with the ception of those portionsthereof in which the parts are permanently secured.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a coop, thecombination, with the bottom, of the opposite hinged sides, postsprovided at the ends of the bottom, and blocks arranged in rear of theposts and combining therewith to form spaces, a roof for the coop, andmeans for locking the same, and opposite front and rear end sectionsremovably mounted between the blocks and the end posts of the sides,substantially as specified.

2. In a coop, a front section having an entrance-opening, aseries ofvertical rods or bars for dividing the opening, one of said barsbeing'removable for enlarging the same, and a door hinged to the lowerend of the section and adapted to be lowered to form a feed board and tofold up within the opening, and a locking device for the door,substantially as specified.

8. In a coop, the combination, with the floor and the transverse cleatsarranged at the front and rear ends of the same, of the fourcorner-posts permanently secured at the corners of the floor, and thelower side sections permanently secured to the posts, and of the upperside section 5, provided with end posts aligning with the corner-postsof the coop and each provided with rigid depending links, as 7, thelower ends of the links being pivotally connected to eyes 8, locatedupon the inner faces of the corner-posts and be ow the upper ends of thesame, and the opposite ends removably mounted between the cornerposts ofthe floor and sides, substantially as specified.

at. In a coop, the combination, with the bottom and the opposite pivotedsides having recesses at opposite pointsin their upper edges, of the endsections removably mounted between the sides, and the removable roofhaving opposite cleats on its under surface of a length agreeing withthe width of the coop and adapted to take between the sides, andprovided with pairs of opposite inverted-L- s'haped clamping-armsadapted to take within the recesses formed in the edges of the sides andto embrace the exterior of said sides, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JULIUS A. BARKELEW. \Vitnesses:

- L. H. OoNDIT,

A. BOLSER.

